My Office

I'm low on Taylor house photos until I can take some more when I'm in Enid this weekend so I'm reverting from showing you free stuff (the pinnacle of stuff, in my mind) to showing you cheap stuff (which is almost but not quite as good because it cost actual MONEY -- geez!).  Hope you don't mind! 

Pictured is my little "broom closet office" at the realty where I work.  Rather than being unhappy about my little office, let me assure you that I adore it.  I have even refused invitations to move into a real office -- you know, the kind with a DOOR! 

I love my office because it has THREE walls that I can decorate, because it's cozy, because it's near the computer and the copy machine, and because it's right in the middle of the office (read: "action") so I always know what's going on and because everyone there now knows that I can at least manage to LOOK like I'm working!

I must say, for starters, that I detest the desk but, oh well.  On the other hand, I really like the brown chair as brown is sort of my color and I HATE blue desk chairs which seems to be the uniform for desk chairs. 

First, the free stuff!  The green shelves were free off the curb.  They're very unsophistocated -- just boards nailed together -- but I LOVE the color!  The small frames on the wall (where I have finally hung my degrees and diploma after years of gathering dust) were all free.  I spray painted them with a can of metallic chrome spray paint (MUCH better than silver) that I got at a garage sale for 50 cents. 

Second, the "expensive" stuff in my office:  my very favorite lamps on the planet ($20 each), the pressed tin shelf (half price at Hobby Lobby $20), and the silver "A" ($10 because I really love it).

Third, an accounting of the rest of the (cheap) stuff in my office:  pretty much everything else was $2 per item.  I simply ADORE the botanical print reproduction ($2).  I collect the matte white Haegar pottery of which there are two examples on the green shelves.  There were 5 but I stole three of them for a staging project.  I think I have about 100 pieces of vintage white pottery which I use frequently at home and when staging.  I pick up silver pieces whenever I find them for $2 or less and I use them everywhere just like the white pottery!

I learned about chrome spray paint from the large frame which I bought (already pre-chromed) for $4. I LOVE the finish on it!  I have been chrome-ing everything in sight ever since!  It is supposed to be a burlap-covered bulletin board but I haven't put the burlap and the cardboard and the frame together yet. 

The yellow post-it note is written in simulated Chinese and was left for me by my prankster husband.  It makes me smile!

I'm scheming to do an en masse hanging of framed photos and drawings of the houses I've lived in during my 44 years (maybe in place of the large silver frame).  Seems like that would be a fitting theme in a real estate office, don't you think?  There!  Now that I've said it, I'll have to DO it so I can show you!

Forgive me for this not being the most polished piece!  Crazy busy lately! 

I'm off to Enid for the weekend and planning to stock up on Taylor house photos so I can be more focused on the original intent for this blog!  Unless I get interested in something else!  Just humor me!



Curb Appeal Makeover

Forgive me for forgoing the free stuff for a minute -- I haven't been in Enid for quite a few weeks and I'm running out of photos (but, never fear, I'm going this weekend)! 

In my free time (ha!) I have a little side business called Upstage.  I stage houses that are for sale and optimize houses for people who are staying put.  It's great fun!  Mostly what I do is furnish EMPTY houses that are for sale. 

Every once in a while I get a chance to do one of my very favorite things:  a curb appeal makeover!  This post features a curb appeal makeover I got to do recently.  We didn't do it up completely (for example, it wasn't in the budget to repaint the whole exterior) but this shows how much difference a little paint (on the door and the new porch rails) and polish and COLOR can make!

Porch Before

Porch with new rails, new red door, new mailbox, new house numbers, and new porch light.
This picture just makes me HAPPY!

Carport Before

Carport with lattice removed and jazzed up with a couple of red Adirondack chairs!
Don't you just want to sit a spell?

Remember this chair makeover from a previous post?  This is where they went!

Here, for your appreciation, is a shot of the old mailbox, storm door, astroturf, and "No Soliciting" sign.

And here's the spiffy new mailbox and house numbers! 
I also spray painted the old brass doorbell with bronze to subdue it's outdated shininess a bit!

Front facade before.

Front facade after (with quite a bit of help from the landscapers)!

Next idea:  red wooden shutters!

Many thanks to Cheri for letting me play with her mama's house and for trusting the vision in my head!